Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for the Oil Industry

Abstract

With the oil and gas industry growing rapidly, increasing the yield and profit require advances in technology for cost-effective production in key areas of reservoir exploration and in oil-well production-management. In this paper we review our group’s research into fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and their applications in the oil industry, especially in the well-logging field. FBG sensors used for seismic exploration in the oil and gas industry need to be capable of measuring multiple physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, and acoustic waves in a hostile environment. This application requires that the FBG sensors display high sensitivity over the broad vibration frequency range of 5 Hz to 2.5 kHz, which contains the important geological information. We report the incorporation of mechanical transducers in the FBG sensors to enable enhance the sensors’ amplitude and frequency response. Whenever the FBG sensors are working within a well, they must withstand high temperatures and high pressures, up to 175 °C and 40 Mpa or more. We use femtosecond laser side-illumination to ensure that the FBGs themselves have the high temperature resistance up to 1100 °C. Using FBG sensors combined with suitable metal transducers, we have experimentally realized high- temperature and pressure measurements up to 400 °C and 100 Mpa. We introduce a novel technology of ultrasonic imaging of seismic physical models using FBG sensors, which is superior to conventional seismic exploration methods. Compared with piezoelectric transducers, FBG ultrasonic sensors demonstrate superior sensitivity, more compact structure, improved spatial resolution, high stability and immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI). In the last section, we present a case study of a well-logging field to demonstrate the utility of FBG sensors in the oil and gas industry.

Inversion Algorithm of Fiber Bragg Grating for Nanofluid Flooding Monitoring

“…The behavior of ferromagnetic particles in a magnetic fluid is dependent on the external magnetic field, so the refractive index of magnetic fluid tends to be magnetic-field-dependent. The wavelength shift of FBG was due to magnetic force F m that is represented by the following equation [45]:…”

ASE Noise Characterization of an All-Fiber Sagnac Interferometer via LAN for Remote Sensing

“…The amplified light propagates until it reaches the fibre Bragg grating (FBG) where it reflects light at 1548.4 nm. One should note that his optical array does not use a transmitted laser signal [5] [6]. Finally, the reflection signal reaches ports two and three of the WDM and then it reaches the SI.…”

An FBG magnetic sensor for oil flow monitoring in sandstone core

“…[3][4][5][6] These interactions might result in lower interfacial tension, oil swelling, oil viscosity reduction, wettability modication and favorable phase behavior. 7 The increment in oil recovery using injected uids under electromagnetic waves can be explained by different recovery mechanism as follows: (1) the dielectric polarization of nanoparticles causes deformation of oil drops shape and increase the surface area leads to more particles' adsorption, consequently reducing the interfacial tension; (2) the rate of wettability alteration increases which increase the surface free energy; (3) the improvement of mobility ratio because of electro rheological effect which increases the viscosity of nanouids. 8 The key to improve the oil recovery efficiency is to predict and control of oil, gas and water movement within the reservoir more accurately.…”